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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24191023">Home</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/missolivetree/pseuds/missolivetree'>missolivetree</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Gen, Stereotypes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 00:41:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,258</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24191023</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/missolivetree/pseuds/missolivetree</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There was a sight James had never expected. Lily was crying, and he had no idea how to confort her.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James Potter/Lily Evans Potter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is the first fanfiction I ever posted online. I hope you like it (if anyone ever finds it). Please be kind and leave some comments. Any feedback is appreciated!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>James had just got to the entrance to the Owlery when he saw a bush of red hair on the other side of the room. He couldn’t help himself from grinning.</p><p>“Oi, Evans?”, he called out cheerfully.</p><p>But she didn’t turn around or answer him. He wasn’t even sure she’d heard him. She kept her gaze forward, looking out into the sky. Only then did he notice the signs. How straight her back was, how hard she was clenching her fists. How messy her hair was. And then he heard it. A small sniffle. She was crying. Alone.</p><p><em>Bloody hell.</em> What was he supposed to do? They were in better terms than before, sure. Friendly, at least, if not friends. But that didn’t mean he had any idea how to approach a crying Lily Evans. Lily did not cry. Period. She was a force of nature, with a certainty to her step that could put some storms to shame. And forces of nature did not cry. But there she was, doing just that.</p><p>Another sniffle.</p><p>That sound tore him from where he stood, and he was walking towards her before he knew what he was doing.</p><p>“Evans?”, he said, softer this time. “What’s wrong?”</p><p>She looked at him. If she was surprised to see him there, she didn’t show it. But tear tracks were running down her cheeks, and her eyes were lined with silver. That sight broke him a little more.</p><p>“Why am I a freak everywhere?”. Her voice was so small, barely above a whisper. Another piece of him cracked. That was not the voice of Lily Evans.</p><p>“What are you talking about? You’re not a freak”.</p><p>“Yes, I am!” She was almost shouting now. “I am a freak in the Muggle word – so much so that there’s even a whole Statute of Secrecy preventing me from showing who I am to muggles. I am a freak to the Wizarding world for being a muggle-born, and there’s a whole war happening about that! And, apparently, I’m even a freak to my own family!”</p><p>James was just opening his mouth to tell her how wrong she was when she shoved a piece of paper against his chest.</p><p>“It’s a letter from my <em>dear </em>sister. Read it, if you don’t believe me.”</p><p>He looked at it.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Lily.</em>
</p><p><em>My relationship with Vernon is getting serious, and I have invited him to spend Christmas with us, so he can meet </em>my<em> parents. I would very much appreciate it if you did not come home for Christmas. I can’t hide the fact that I have a sister, but he doesn’t need to know she’s a freak just yet. </em></p><p>
  <em>Don’t you dare tell Mum about this letter.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Petunia.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“What a bitch…”, James murmured, and was happy to receive a snort in answer.</p><p>“You can’t even imagine”, Lily said with a hint of a smile. But that smile quickly turned downwards. “She’s still my sister, and I want to love her, but… Does she have to make it this hard? Why can’t she accept me for who I am? Why don’t I truly fit in anywhere?” Her eyes were wandering as if trying to find a spot to fix on.</p><p>“Lily, look at me”, he said gently. “You know I don’t have any siblings, but I have seen Sirius’s relationship with Regulus over the years. They’re your families, and you both probably have bigger hearts than any of them deserve. You want to love them because that’s what you do. And if I’m not mistaken, you do it fiercely and have been doing so at least since you came to Hogwarts, despite how she acted. But that letter says more about Petunia than it ever will about you. Magic does not make you a freak. And if she cannot accept her amazing sister, her amazing <em>witch</em> sister, maybe she doesn’t deserve half the love you try to give her.”</p><p>Lily looked at him with a look he couldn’t begin to understand. There was something soft and fierce and sad in it, all at the same time.</p><p>“Well, maybe magic doesn’t make people freaks, but it seems to do so when you’re a muggle-born…”, she answered flatly.</p><p>“Lily…”</p><p>She sighed.</p><p>“I know. I know what you’re going to say. The ones who think that are wrong. I know that’s what you believe, despite being as pureblooded as they come. And I thank you for that. I do. And I, I don’t truly believe I’m a freak. It’s just… In days like this, it’s hard to feel like a have a home, you know? I have a foot in the wizarding world and another in the muggle world, and both seem to be kicking me out. And I can’t choose one of them. I may be the “brightest witch of my age”, and I love making potions, but I still prefer notebooks over parchment and pens over quills, if I can choose. But I see the dirty looks I get for carrying these things. It’s not fair.”</p><p>“You’re right. It’s not fair. But you still carry these notebooks” – at the quizzing look he gave her, Lily nodded, as in confirmation he got the word right – “Because that’s you. A wonderful mix between muggle and magic and everything in between. And you have a home. Here. With me.” – he looked at her, then added quickly – “And Marlene and Dorcas and Mary and Alice. And Sirius and Remus, too. Even with Peter, even if he’s somewhat afraid of you.” He got another snort at that. “And everyone else who isn’t a piece of shit. And you still have your parents, even if your sister doesn’t come around. Don’t let other people make you doubt your place or regret who you are. Please.” And he was truly begging. Because he could not fathom a world where Lily Evans was not <em>Lily Evans</em>.</p><p>She looked at him for a minute. Two minutes. For what seemed like an eternity. As the seconds ticked by, the look on her face gave way to a determined expression. Her chin was held a little higher. Her back was straight but not stiff, as it was before. She cleaned away her tears. Slowly, she seemed more and more like herself.</p><p>“Okay”, she said after a while.</p><p>“Okay?”</p><p>“Yeah, okay. I have a home. And if I don’t have one, I’ll make one with the people who care about me as much as I care about them. And I’ll fight whoever tries to stop me. I won’t let them win.”</p><p>James smiled at that. And smiled even more as she smiled back at him.</p><p>“As for Christmas…”, he started, nervous again, “you can come to stay at ours if you want. Sirius and Remus will be there, and Peter usually comes by as well. Mum makes the most amazing pies, you’ll love them. And there’s always light and music and…” He only stopped babbling when he saw her lip wobbling. <em>Oh no, I’m making her cry again. Stupid Potter. The first real conversation you had with her in ages and you made her cry again. Stupid.</em></p><p>He stopped this train of thought when he felt her hugging him. He was dumbstruck. <em>What…?</em></p><p>“Thank you, James”, she said into his ear. “I’ll probably go stay at Marlene’s, but… Thank you. Really.”</p><p>And as she smiled, widely and honestly, James thought he would never get tired of making her smile like that. And Lily thought maybe she had found a place where she belonged, here, with him.</p>
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